By Rusty Rubin, managing editor, of Ringsports.com, and author of “Off the Canvas”, an accurate view of American history and the social problems of the times, as witnessed by an 80-year old ex-champion. “Off the Canvas” takes you from the time of the Great Depression till the World Trade Center disaster and is a book that has been getting rave reviews. Copies are $15.00 each available at Ringsports.com and on-line major book retailers. For a list of the reviews please contact me.***
The Pay Per View fights on March 19th, televised by HBO more than lived up to their billing. For those of you who may have missed it, you missed some great boxing action.
I haven’t caved in and gone cable or dish network, that will never happen. I did however have the good fortune to watch the fights over a friend’s house.
The semi-main featured yet another candidate for fight of the year as Jorge Arce, cut badly on the bridge of his nose, didn’t lose a step in stopping game, and stiff-chinned Husein Husein, in the 10th round.
It was a great non-stop action fight, with the guy with two first (or last) names showing tremendous courage, and Arce, showed even more determination by coming back from what seemed to be a cut bad enough to stop the fight.
Despite criticism from the HBO team, referee Vic Drakulich (pronounced Drack-u-litch, Larry Merchant) did a fine job in letting the fast pace fight continue, until Hussein’s corner jumped in the ring and stopped the fight.
The main event, was every bit as much of a war than the semi-main, as Manny Pacqiao, suffering from a bad cut over his right eye, early, hung tough and lost a 115-113 decision on all judges cards to Erik Morales.
The cut, was an apparent accidental butt as seen on TV, but not seen by referee Joe Cortez, who also did a great job in letting these great warriors go toe-to-toe.
I scored the fight 117-111 for the Mexican great, but certainly a case can be made for Pac Man in a few of the rounds I scored for “El Terrible”.
Two fights back to back on the same card have suddenly become candidates for fight of the year.***
Al Bernstein, is now hosting an internet show, Ringside Report every Tuesday at 8 PM PST. Check out WWW.CEN.TV or go to the archives at www.cen.tv./shows/al/al.html. Knowing Al, I can promise that you won’t be disappointed.***
The LA Times gave a great review to Black Cloud the movie. It was well deserved. Don’t miss it.***
Agree or disagree, I always welcome comments.
My good friend Stephen B. Acunto, who founded the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing, along with Rocky Marciano, now has his book “Champions Boxing Guide” available in Spanish. For details visit Steve’s website: AAIB.org
Please help me with my upcoming new book. Send all boxing jokes, stories, quips and boxing oddities to (Rusty@ringsports.com), thanks, and members of the boxing media are free to send this most welcome information as well. All submissions used will be given full credit, if used in the book, and it will be given on who submits the story first, basis. Here’s your chance to have your name in print, instead of American’s Most Wanted posters.***
Agree or disagree, feel free to express your views.
Glove2Glove:
Prayers needed for the return to health of Sheila Sepulveda, widow of Reno based Ahora Spanish News Publisher Miguel, and mother of Steve Sepulveda.
Dub Harris, WWII hero and founder and past President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame has suffered a stroke in Southern California. Please pray for his quick return to health.***
Prayers needed for the return to health of Alfonso Luna, father of our outstanding photographer Ray Luna, who has taken ill in Southern California.
Please say prayers for the return to health of Helen Wambolt, wife of our East Coast World Boxing Hall of Fame writer Danny Wambolt. Cards will also be most welcome.***
Please say prayers for the return to health of Orazio Esposito, father of our photographer Richard Esposito.***
Sandy Johnson a great gal as well as a staff member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is fighting breast cancer. A call, e-mail or card, along with your prayers would really do a lot to raise the spirits of an old friend.***
Special prayers go out to Mills Lane for his complete recovery. Mills, who moved from Reno to New York, suffered a stroke a few years back. He may be down, but knowing him personally, he’s far from out.***
Prayers for the return to health of Don Donelson, father of writer Tom, and Gene Sebastian, brother of former middleweight champ Billy Soose. Both are suffering from congestive heart disease. And to Arthur Terciera, father of writer Keith, also having heart related problems.***
Prayers are requested for Ringsports.com photo journalist Dale Hausner of Arizona, who is having problems with cancer.***
Prayers are requested for Kenneth E. Ryther father of our photo journalist Amy Green. Kenneth is suffering from Parkinson’s.***
Prayers for Ed “Whitey” Hadar, a former boxer who is having some serious health problems.***
Please say prayers for Phill Grazide of Santa Rosa, CA. a big supporter of amateur boxing, who is suffering the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.***
Needless to say we need prayers for the return to health of both former champs Greg Page and Gerald McClellan, both confined to wheelchairs.***
Glove2Glove is a non-denominational group set up to aide those boxing folks and their relatives in need of prayers and cards. We accept no money and only contact our members when someone is in need. It’s free to join. Simply send us your e-mail address. And even if you’re not a member, feel free to contact us if you are aware of some boxing person in need.***
Touching on politics briefly: Last week a lot of folks got on me for talking about the domestic problems that can be placed directly at the feet of the current Bush administration. This time, to be fair, let’s look at some good news for the Republican Party.
The best news for them is that Hilary Clinton appears to be the front runner for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 election. Just what the Dems need, an arrogant Northern Liberal, who is probably one of the most polarizing people in America. About the only Republicans that I can see losing to her are those perhaps a bit more polarizing, like Zel Miller or Tom Delay, and neither has expressed any interest in seeking the highest office in the land. Ever wonder why every Republican when asked, sings her praises? They want her to run, and it’s a win-win situation for them, if she does.
I think the Republicans are in a position to shoot themselves in the foot (and some Dems as well) if they try to shove the social security reform bill, in any form, down the throats of the American people. It’s a losing issue for anyone who votes for it, no matter what form it may take. In short, it’s become a sacred cow to the citizens of the United States, and both parties are well aware of it.
There are a lot of problems in this country that need fixing, and yes, social security may be one of them, but history tells us that those legislators who vote for any changes in the bill, are not going to get re-elected.
I believe that homeland security is, and should be on the mind of most Americans, and is in fact, the most serious threat we face. True, we haven’t been attacked on our homeland since 9/11, but we all know it can happen, and while the intelligence has improved (could it have gotten worse?) our border security has not. And that, along with the out-sourcing of jobs, should be the issue that the current administration should be dealing with, not a loser like social security reform.
For the record, we do need social security reform, but there are better ways to handle that than most I’ve heard proposed so far. One way to help, is stop wasting energy and money into those Presidential trips around the country to push a program that’s dead on arrival. And those TV commercials are an equal waste of taxpayer dollars. It’s not much, but it can be put into the social security program instead of being wasted.***
And check this out, one of the geniuses in the Texas legislature are more concerned with sexy cheerleading then they are will illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Speaking of lack of priorities.***
And to the attempt by members of Congress to intervene in the Terry Schiavo case. While I believe the vast majority of Americans support the sanctity of life, there’s also such a thing as quality of life, which Schiavo hasn’t had in 16 years. We all would love to see a miracle, but if God was going to intervene, don’t they think He would have done so by now?
Taking it a step further, our Constitution has checks and balances system, and for that reason, created three branches of government. As I understand it, it’s there to prevent one part of the government from infringing on the authority of another. The case of Schiavo, sad as it may sound, is a judicial issue, nothing more or less.
Congress, in my judgment may have acted illegally, although they only acted to take the issue to the federal courts. Point being is that the Florida courts have decided. The judicial branch must decide which cases go to a higher level, not Congress! This is clearly a political move to pander for support from the religious right.
Seems like Congress feels that if you don’t like the rules, step all over them. If this doesn’t speak to a need for a Constitutional Convention, I don’t know what does. If you change the rules, you are pushing for Constitutional reform.
This Congress is far and away the worst I’ve ever witnessed in limiting the rights of the individual, and doing everything it can to help big business get rich and the poor get poorer. Our founding fathers would be turning over in their grave if they saw what these clowns who pretend to be lawmakers are doing to the citizens of the USA.
I don’t have a problem with people who believe in the right to life, we all should. But don’t we have the right to die with dignity as well? My major problem lies with people who jump all over issues like these for political gain. Does anyone really think that politicians have higher morals than anyone else, and should impose their beliefs on us, to that end?
If Congress really believed it the sanctity of life, what’s stopping them from passing legislation for more stem cell research, so we can save the lives of people who really have a chance to live normal lives?
Many folks who oppose the death penalty do so because life in prison can be so much more painful. Isn’t Schiavo living in her own prison right now?
Keeping Schiavo alive is akin to cruel and inhuman punishment and against the cruel and unusual punishment of the American Constitution.
This is clearly an issue that wouldn’t be an issue if Schiavo had only left a directive, a living will, but sadly she did not.
This is not and should be a place for government intervention. The last thing this country needs is government interfering further in our lives, particularly the religious right. Radicals from either the right or left are dangerous to our way of life, and makes us more like some of the theocracies in other parts of the world. In short we become very much like the people we’re trying to get to accept democracy, and we can’t speak out of both sides of our mouth, which is what we’re doing in the Schiavo case.
I would venture to say that the vast majority of us have lost a loved one via a long, painful and ugly death. I know I have. And, yes, I prayed my heart out for a miracle, which never came, but my best friend’s suffering grew worse and worse, as I watched her waste away.
To be sure, the Schiavo case is a hard decision, albeit in a somewhat different way, but how much guilt would a family feel if they didn’t pull the plug and watched Terry suffer for many more years? How much guilt would they have if they kept her alive, watching her waste away and suffer? The good fight has been fought, but has been lost for some time now. Schiavo has not improved, and there is no reasonable prospect of that happening. My heartfelt sympathy to all her loved ones.
For all of us that there is a time to live and a time to die. Terry Schiavo is alive, but only from a medical stand-point. She has no quality of life.
For the record I’m in complete agreement with most members of the Republican Party, that the government that governs least, governs best. And this is one issue that I wouldn’t let Congress touch with a ten foot pole.
In conclusion, all I can say is thank God I don’t have to make this decision. It’s not my place, and it’s not the place of Congress either. It’s a matter of law, and the judicial branch of government must adjudicate.
Please, no matter what happens remember that Teri Sciavo is a human being, she can’t or shouldn’t be turned on and off like the “Clapper”. Whatever is decided, if we really care about this woman, let this be the final decision.***
As for that rapist/pedophile killer, John Couey, in Florida, did anyone know he was locked up and released 24 times in the past. Why was he allowed to walk the streets? If Jeb Bush wants to become President someday, keeping scum in jail, where they belong is one area where strong leadership, all around this Country and the World is badly needed.
Now here’s someone (Couey) who clearly deserves the death penalty, but probably wont get it, and we’ll waste plenty of taxpayer dollars on appeals to our lawyers can get rich. And Congress, which is largely made up of lawyers, will do nothing to stop this, because most of them or others in that profession are the ones who benefit from the appeals system.
Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you (Rusty@ringsports.com)
